‘Next Level Chef’ season 2 episode 9 recap: Who had a sad ending to their ‘Happy Hour’? [LIVE BLOG]

Tonight on “Next Level Chef”: As the contestants continue to compete as their individual selves, they are challenged to create one perfect appetizer dish and pair it with a beautiful craft cocktail. The chefs learn that a new element has been added to the competition, “the time token,” giving the chef with the winning dish the chance to add an extra 10 seconds to the start of their platform grab or they can use it to take 10 seconds away from a competitor of their choosing. One chef’s dreams will come to an end in the all-new “Happy Hour” episode of “Next Level Chef” airing Thursday, April 6 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Joined by two elite names in the food world, chefs Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais, Gordon Ramsay and his co-mentors leave no stone unturned, as they’ve scoured the country and hand-picked the best home cooks, social media chefs and professional chefs who will be on each of their teams. The winner will receive a $250,000 prize and a one-year mentorship.

SEE ‘Next Level Chef’ season 2 power rankings: Top 11 finalists ranked from worst to best

Here is the remaining roster of contestants (or scroll through the gallery above for more info on each chef):

Team Arrington: Nuri Muhammad, Omi Hopper, Pilar Moega, Shay Spence

Team Blais: Christopher Spinosa, Mehreen Karim, Tineke Younger

Team Ramsay: Michelle Calcgni, Tucker Ricchio, Vinny Alia

SEE Everything to know about Gordan Ramsay’s ‘Next Level Chef 2’: Meet the 18 chef-testants competing

8:00 p.m. — Previously on “Next Level Chef”! The game changed completely when the teams were dismantled. In the challenge, each person grabbed a box from the platform with a country’s flag on it. They were tasked with making the country’s signature dish. Gordon announced the top three chefs were Omi, Tucker and Michelle. In the cook-off, Pilar and Vinny defeated Preston Nguyen, sending the 19-year professional chef from Dallas, Texas packing. Let’s find out who comes out on top tonight!

8:05 p.m. — The top 10 chefs enter the studio, where they are congratulated and told what the next challenge is: Appetizers and a craft cocktail. They’ve got 40 minutes to complete their apps and the winner will get the reward of a time token. Michelle, Omi and Tucker head up to the top level for this challenge. Chris, Mehreen, Nuri, Shay and Tineke are on the middle level while Pilar and Vinny head to the basement.

8:10 p.m. — The platform descends and there is a fight for scallops that breaks out between Omi and Michelle. Michelle ultimately prevails, but Omi is fine taking salmon. Everything else goes pretty smoothly. I don’t see anyone completely disappointed in their grab for this challenge, but Gordon doesn’t look happy with Michelle. She may have scallops, but she barely has anything else to go with it.

8:25 p.m. — Mehreen has never cooked lobster before, but she’s taking a risk. Meanwhile, the mid-round mayhem platform descends holding booze and garnish. What cocktails can these chefs come up with? Omi is thrilled to snag a piña colada. On the middle level, the cooks seem a little annoyed by Nuri’s heigh advantage. They call him “Stretch” for a reason, and he’s able to just reach over his competitors and grab what he wants. Mehreen seems the most concerned because she’s Muslim and doesn’t drink. Down in the basement, Vinny can’t believe his luck when he sees bourbon still on the platform.

8:30 p.m. — With eight minutes remaining, Vinny pulls his Scotch egg out of they fryer and realizes he forgot to wrap it in his ground pork. It’s a devastating mistake. Nyesha is extremely frustrated with him and tells him to figure something out and get it on the plate. To make things worse, he doesn’t even taste his cocktail before tossing it on the platform while time expires. Things aren’t looking good for Vinny. On the middle level, Mehreen completely forgets to put her cocktail on the platform, so that will likely prove to be a deadly misfire for her. Alas, it’s time for the judges to taste each dish.

8:32 p.m. — The basement chefs are up first. Vinny’s deep-fried egg with a potato fondant “doesn’t eat like an appetizer” and the egg is overcooked. The whiskey sour “smells like Hugh Hefner’s underpants juice.” Pilar’s skewers and Tom Collins cocktail “pairs really well” and looks “beautiful.”

8:36 p.m. — On the middle level, Chris’ oysters two ways with a Negroni is shows range and the cocktail is delicious. Mehreen’s lobster spring roll is “very sweet” and the cocktail didn’t make the platform. Tineke’s tuna tostada with a daiquiri is “elegant to the eye” but the dough is raw. Shay’s Lebanese sambousek is “delicious” and the Cosmopolitan is a hit. Nuri’s chicken lollipops have a beautiful heat, but the rum punch cocktail is the star.

8:40 p.m. — From the top floor, Tucker’s Spanish prawns with a Moscow Mule is the type of appetizer Nyesha wants. Gordon says it was “nailed.” Next up, Michelle’s scallops done two ways with a Mojito is perfectly paired. Omi’s pan-seared and fried salmon dish with a piña colada tastes like something from a high-end resort. Gordon calls it a “wow” dish.

8:45 p.m. — The judges deliberate and decide the top three dishes belong to Nuri, Shay, Omi and Tucker. They’ll cook in the top kitchen next week. The winner of the time token is Nuri. The three people that will be cooking in the elimination cook-off are Vinny, Tineke and Mehreen. That means Chris, Michelle and Pilar will be on the middle floor next week.

9:00 p.m. — For the elimination cook-off, Mehreen, Tineke and Vinny will have to cook Japanese wagyu filet. While cooking, Tineke has an issue with her cheese sauce. It’s a bit lumpy. Mehreen is scared the steak will be raw and Vinny wonders if using cucumbers instead of mushrooms was a huge mistake. Judging this cook-off will be Gordon and Nyesha. Let’s see what they say. Mehreen’s steak was cooked perfectly and her chutney is “absolutely delicious.” Vinny’s steak and mashed potatoes are “harmony,” but the pickled cucumber is perplexing. Tineke’s steak with cheese and truffle sauce is “delicious” but Nyesha thinks the cheese is slightly overpowering. Gordon says the dish he would eliminate is Vinny’s. Nyesha agrees. Vinny will be heading home tonight, while Mehreen and Tineke return next week in the basement kitchen.

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